


Choices

by justbygrace



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Canon verse, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-10
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-10-30 10:18:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10874724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justbygrace/pseuds/justbygrace
Summary: Ten's thoughts when Rose was walking away from him during their first time in Pete's World.





	Choices

**Author's Note:**

> Prompted fic.  
> Recognizable dialogue from Doctor Who which owns my soul.  
> Some day I will finally have all my fics re-uploaded - it's just every time I think I'm done I Find Another One.

"You just said twenty-four hours!"

_No, please, Rose, you don't understand. How do I make her understand? There's got to be a way. Most brilliant mind in the universe, multiple universes even! What can I say?_

"You can't become their daughter, that's not the way it works. Mickey, tell her!"

_There, that should work. I hope. Mickey will back me up and we can all stay together, maybe get some chips. Parallel universe, bound to have interesting chips. Rose likes chips. Chips will make Rose stay, right?_

"Twenty-four hours, yeah?"

_What?! Mickey, no, that's not how it's supposed to work! You're supposed to back me up. I know I've kind of ignored you, but that doesn't count against me, right? You're going to stick with me, aren't you?_

"Where are you going?"

_Frankly I don't care where you're going, just that I told you not to and you aren't listening. Rose, Rose, no! Stop walking away. Rose!_

"Well I can do what I want."

_Of course you can do what you want. It's not like I've got you on a leash here. Didn't even really want you to come, just thought Rose would. Besides you were a good buffering tool, but me and Rose, we've worked things out...mostly. Or I thought we had anyway. But that still doesn't mean you can go off and leave! Who knows what kind of shenanigans you'll get into out there. And Rose and I will have to rescue you. Rose! Rose, come back here. Rose! Stop walking away from me!_

"I've got the address and everything."

_I don't care if you've got an embossed invitation, you're not going! Oh God, now I sound like a father. Not your father, Rose, I promise I'm not. And you don't need to see this version of your father, he won't know who you are. This isn't going to end well!_

"Both of you stay where you are! Rose, come back here. Mickey, come back here right now."

_Why aren't you listening to me! You're supposed to be listening to me! Designated driver and all that. There's a reason the walls are closed between universes. Too damned tempting all these alternate realities. Nothing good comes of them. Like this! This right here is not good. Very Not Good!_

"I just want to see them."

_But they won't want to see you! They won't know who you are! Why don't you get that? But what if, what if this one is different. What if they do love you? What if they are good people? What if they invite you to stay? What if you ask to stay? I don't know anything about this universe! The TARDIS won't work here, we've established that. I could, I could stay here with you. But if you're with both parents you won't want to come with me? No, I won't let that happen! I can't, I won't, you can't...Rose!_

"Yeah, I've got things to see and all."

_You have what? Mickey, why are you still talking? Just stay there and don't move!_

"Like what?"

_Keep him talking, it'll distract him. Give me some time for strategizing. I'm good at strategizing, usually. Not doing so well right now. But I can rally. I'm good at rallying._

"Well, you don't know anything about me, do you? It's always about Rose; I'm just the spare dog."

 _Did I say that? I don't remember saying that. I've said a lot, but I'm at least 98.5% sure that was not one of the things I said. I mean, sure you aren't the most useful companion I've ever had, but you definitely have a purpose. And why would I want to know anything about you? You aren't Rose! Obviously._

"I'm sorry I've got to go."

 _That's what I'm afraid of! That you'll go and you won't come back! I know I promised you after France that if you wanted to go home, I would take you. And I meant it...mostly. But it would break my hearts, I'm not sure I could go on anymore. Don't you understand, I can't do this without you. I know things haven't been great lately. Okay, I know I've been awful lately, making stupid decisions and pushing you away. But it wasn't supposed to actually work!_

"Go on then, there's no choice is there. You can only chase after one of us, it's never going to be me, is it."

 _No Mickey, it's not. And under different circumstances I would be sorry, but I just can't manage it right now. Because you're right, I can't chase after you and her. And it's always going to be her and in so many different ways than you mean. It's always going to be her that I love, her that I want, her whose hand I reach for, her who holds my hearts. I can't be that far from her, I'm sure you understand. And she's turned around, she hasn't looked back in over five point three seconds, that means she's made up her mind. She's going, she's leaving me! Rose! Please don't disappear around that wall without me._

"Back here. Twenty-four hours."

 _Excuse me, I've got to go. Rose is leaving me! Rose, wait! Rose, I'm coming! Mickey, find your own way around this universe. And try to stay out of trouble or, at least, don't get into too much trouble. No life or death circumstances. Now, I really must run._

"Yeah, if I haven't found something better."

_Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose. Rose!_


End file.
